#cosmic pug series

[1-1-s1ay-2-2]

PUG | 2023 💎💜💎

#pugbug #pugbugs #pugbubbles #pugorbs #pugpoints #pugcoins #pugbrand #puggame #puggear #pugbook #pugebook #pugdigi #pugdigital #pugdesigns #pugart #agirlnamedpug #pug2023

[monkey-network]

WarioWare: The Series Season 3 Episodes

52 Episodes. Season 4 Coming 20XX Season 2, Season 1 * = Episode Submitted by @tmantookie

The End of the Show: WarioWare Inc. want to make games again… except Wario, who has grown tired of the idea and the gang somehow taking advantage of him (even when he steals from them), so he goes back to treasure hunting. This begs the question: can a company run smoothly without an (arrogant and maniacal) entrepreneur to lead it?

The Prince and the Bopper: An elegant prince gets transported to Diamond City and feels out of touch with this new reality, so JT helps him see a side that’s been locked away. His kingdom’s chancellor arrives to take him back, but he’s conflicted between becoming king of the castle or staying as king of the ball.

Wario Side Story: The Possums and the Squirrels, rival gangs of DC’s Crystal Park, have fought for territory for generations. However, the daughters of the gang’s leaders start to bond and wish to put an end to the war. With Wario and Mona spectating from afar, can there be enough resolve in putting an end to the conflict?

Hurry Up!: The WarioWare gang are making a mad dash to a concert, but when they try using a shortcut through the DC mall, they’re forced to confront persistent kiosk owners who will stop at nothing to make them pay.

Words Hurt: In the show’s quietest episode ever, 9 and 18 Volt study at a library when higher grade kids start getting them in unintentional trouble, so the duo set up prank traps that’ll surely get back at them. All without making a sound.

Greed Pluribus Unum: A master thief is taking money from Wario, the richest fatcats of DC, banks, schools, hospitals, everything from the town. Why and where to is anyone’s game, but Wario-Man’s on the case to track down, take back, and force himself to give back to those who’ve been wronged.

Robot Humble: Doris 1 short circuits and plots to lead a robot uprising, but fails at getting an army due to Crygor’s bots not being the most vicious (or stable). So she turns to Mike, who develops feelings for her but gets annoyed by her constant pleading and moping.

Star Tolls: Orbulon takes over Dribble and Spitz’s shift for the day and is somehow better than the duo at getting the job done. But when he accidentally scratches a car and is challenged to a race across the galaxy, he may have to break some codes of his to win.

Nightmare on W Street: Halloween has arrived and Ashley is still the one person who’s afraid of nothing (beyond that one time). She and Wario takes this as an opportunity for easy money from the city, but when a stranger shaman casts a spell on her, the scam might falter when she starts to finally recognize fear.

Man of the Woods: Former minions of Wario’s past are stalking him, and everyone’s trying to figure out how to sooth their haunting tension toward him.

Cater Joe’s: Manager Joe opens a diner on the edge of town to have some time away from the city life. Some of the WarioWare gang stop by to share an adventure they had over the week.

Penny Machine: A snooty scientist is dazzled by Penny’s science fair project, but Penny refuses to give it up as it’s her most delicate creation. So the judge does all they can to get it, but you can’t put a price on love.

The Hero’s Might: After her first ever sugar rush, a hungover Lulu is stranded in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a lute, a water bottle, a mule, and Wario’s clothes on her back. Nothing left to do but try to make it back. And it begs the question: who’s the stubborn one in this story?

The Rhythm Hath Fallen* (Half Hour Crossover Special): A cosmic earthquake causes Heaven World to fall and collide with Diamond City, with HW’s citizens treating DC’s citizens to a week long block party. But the week starts to overstay its welcome, so Rhythm Heaven’s Tibby, his friends, and the WW gang try to fix things with Mamarin’s bizarre guidance.

The Opposable Opponent: Young Cricket starts training under a master that only uses his left thumb to fight, but struggles to keep up with the regime... until he starts to figure out how the master came to be.

Spell “Mi cup”: 9-Volt, 18-Volt, and 13-Amp enter and win a special edition movie branded mug and split up their days of possessing it. However, sharing germs is the one thing the three unfortunately overlook.

Tree Top Tango: Jimmy T is enjoying a jazzy walk in the woods, but gets in a pickle when creatures of nature’s variety start to surface. What’s a disco fool to beside show them a natural groove to ease their carnivorous minds.

Love at First Strike: Ana starts to develop a crush on 9-Volt, and is stuck between practicing and hanging out with him. 9-Volt would feel the same way, if she wasn’t pummeling him as a means to hide him from Kat.

The Typical Beach Episode: It’s an average beach day for WarioWare Inc... until a hurricane lands smack dab in the middle of the fun. So now the gang is caught between staying within the eye of the storm and dodging the chaos circling around them.

Ashociates: Ashley finally made some friends, dawg! Except not really, she’s only using them to get a mystical artifact and if you see her so called “friends”, her front is kinda justified.

Good Golf: Mona and Dr. Crygor are enjoying a nice day of mini-golf when a egotistical pro golfer butts in their game and begins ruining people’s fun. The two team up to beat him just in time for lunch, but things get difficult when he put up traps on the course.

Chili Dog Millionaire: Lulu finds out she’s a great cook, so she gets a job at a gourmet restaurant where the head chef demands for nothing but perfection. Nervous at first, the head chef treats her better than the rest, which prompts jealousy and potential sabotage her way.

King of the Dill: 18-Volt is selling hot pickles at school but sells out quick and ran out of his special ingredients. While going to the store, his classmates spot him and suddenly transform into sore throat, teary eyed zombies by the sight of his green jacket.

Becoming Human (For Dummies): Orbulon gets tired of people picking on him because he’s an extraterrestrial. So he invents a human suit that helps him appear like one. But, the intricacies of the suit start to send Orbulon dark thoughts that yet don’t stray from typical human ideologies.

Dueldreaming: Kat is suffering from nightmares to the point of not sleeping at all, so with the help of Penny, Ana goes into her dreams to slay the horrors but starts to cower before what she finds.

Way of the Birthday: It’s Young Cricket’s birthday, so Mantis has the perfect gift for him for all he’s done: a Battle Royale where it’s him against Mantis’s old friends.

Jump the Rope: We got ourselves a flash forward episode, where we see the kids grown up, the adults living out their days, and Wario.... ummm, in another place.

A New L.O.W.: Wario creates the League of Wario, a team of sinister pranksters, to get back at a viral video celeb that wedgied him great enough to put him in a wheelchair. 

Wario Party: It’s the anniversary of WarioWare Inc, and the gang wants to celebrate the occasion... by dining at the perfect restaurant. But they’ve dined at every place in DC, so they set out to go to the best place with the best palette, atmosphere, and prices.

Musclecats HO!: Mona joins a gym and enters herself into a bodybuilding competition. With the help of a supportive and swoll group of regulars, she’s aiming for the top.

Grey JT: A grey hair sprouts from Jimmy’s head and this makes him worry about how his routine may be the cause of aging faster.

That’s Enough, Buddy: Due to increase danger risk in DC, a young yet no nonsense sheriff is enforcing old rules on the public which interferes with Wario’s latest scam.

A Mother’s Metal: 9-Volt wants to give 5-Volt the best Mother’s Day gift ever, and eventually digs up an old relic of her past that’s both a blessing and a curse to 5.

The Best Worst Case Scenario: Television has gotten boring, even Wario thinks it’s a waste of his time, so everyone trashes their TV and goes outside to more productive means. Everything is swell, except for the people up top who soon rely on Wario to save them.

Oh Snow: Layers of snow has hit DC and while Wario becomes a life-sized snowman, Ashley learns about the multifaceted fun of snow.

WarioWaRPG: A digital virus manifests from Penny’s laptop and turns Diamond City into a card based RPG world. She kidnaps Penny and it’s up to the gang to save her. Unfortunately, they skipped the tutorial and don’t have the best decks on hand.

Let’s Be Lazy For Once: Due to a budget setback thanks to last episode, the WW gang decide to look back on previous episodes and provide as clever and nice a commentary as possible.

You’re Clowning Me: Dribble and Spitz pick a group of clowns that are on their way to rehearsal. What the two fail to realize is that they’re clown mafia with police, and rival clown cars, not far behind.

Chivalry is Dumb: A famous detective, and his maid sidekick, arrives at Diamond City to investigate an elaborate crime, only to be taken aback by Wario and all that he stands for, while his sidekick grows to enjoy the big guy’s rebellious and burly personality.

Break Out the Rainy Day Fun: Kat, Ana, Penny, 9 & 18 Volt join Ashley and Red at their manor while the rain’s heavy outside. And while Ashley is busy with a certain brew she’s craving, she summons skeletons to go play with, and not chomp, the others.

The Suit: Legends says there is a mystical 3 piece suit that can turn any normal being into a charming yet sadistically unruly reality bending version of themselves. Now this would be the part where I mention who stumbles upon such clothing, but I’ll let that be a mystery.

Consider the Fruit n’ Nuts: Dr. Crygor, with assistance from Wario, Mona, Cricket, and Penny, teaches us the good and bad of dieting.

House of Mike: After Mike stumbles upon a group of pugs who’re seeking a sense of purpose and bonding, he shows them a fantasy game he recently bought that could help them out.

The Hero’s “Happiness”: Lulu is comfortable with the life she now has in DC, but doesn’t feel happy, whatever that means. Only when a familiar villager of Luxeville enters the picture does she question whether it’s right to stay or leave for better purposes, and she turns to the least favorable person for help.

You Agree With Me?: In a shocking turn of events, a man who’s never able to decide on any choice was able to thanks to Jimmy’s advice. Now our more decisive denizen is indebted to his afro hero, to the point of imitating him to a bizarrely fleek degree.

Master Blaster: A few million years ago, jerk aliens decided to blast the earth with a laser beam that’s destructive yet really slow. A few million years later, it’s set to touchdown in 24 hours. Orbulon and Dr.Crygor team up to figure out how to beat the laser, but our alien is more worried with time than the doctor.

A Series of Unbelievable Events: At Joe’s Diner, Young Cricket and Master Mantis share their awful day and Manager Joe doesn’t find everything to be true, so they begrudgingly trace their steps and recount their day to Joe exactly how it happened.

Amp Unleashed: 13-Amp must face her fears when she has to rap battle against a duo that inspired her career. While she is alone on this mission, the memories of 18-Volt and Mike’s help give her new found strength.

Fronk Sonata’s Moonlight: Penny’s terrible singing practice makes her voice soul leave her body for 9V’s fronk, Snag, who becomes a hit nightclub singer.

Unininja: Kat and Ana fuse into one ultimate dual wielding ninja, but unfuses for good when they go too far with their newly acquired fun. But when a Tengu Shogun is coming with an armada toward Diamond City, it’s the perfect time to unite once again.

My Witch Ashedemia: Ashley is enrolled in a prep school for witches, but feels bored with the mediocre lessons. But she uncovers a secret about the school and uses this to blackmail the teachers for more advanced schooling, which inadvertently puts a target on her from an anti witch group.

LessTalkMoreTanks (Half Hour Season Finale): The WW gang finds a giant battle tank and take it for a spin, but it turns that they stole it from its cantankerous, anarchy driven owner. So... tank fight in the sand dunes, the gang vs the owner’s friends? Who’s on board?

[inhumansforever]

Lockjaw #1 Review

spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers

Writer Daniel Kibbelsmith and artists Carlos Villa, Roberto Poggi and Chris O’Halloran bring us the first in a four-issue series exploring the adventures of everybody’s favorite giant teleporting dog.  Quick recap and review following the jump.  

This first issue opens up on the morning of what appears to be a very special day for Lockjaw...  Situated in the Inhuman citadel of New Arctillan on the dark side of the moon, Lockjaw gazes out onto the cosmos and his preternatural sense of smell seem to detect a potential threat.  Something quite not right is afoot and Lockjaw springs to action.  Fist, however, the narrative offers us a quick glimpse of some of the other members of Lockjaw’s fellow Royals.  This includes Medusa and Black Bolt who appear to be *ahem* intimate once more… as well as the always irascible Karnak eating cereal, and Crystal reading a story to her daughter, Luna.  Then Lockjaw teleports off.

The narrative switches to earth, to the apartment of Dennis Dunphy, the one-time costumed adventurer and former Avenger known as Demolition Man (or D-Man for short).  Dennis has had a hard time of late.  Following a tumultuous career as a superhero with some highs and many lows, Dennis had retired from the life and settled down with his boyfriend, Steve.    Unfortunately, things with Steve didn’t work out and Dennis has been very much down in the dumps ever since the break up.  And his sadness gives way to anger when he sees himself as a clue on the TV gameshow, Jeopardy!, and none of the contestants can recall his name.  Then the show goes to commercial before the host can offer the correct answer and it leaves Dennis so enraged that he punches the television.  

And this is made even worse when the broken glass from the TV set leaves Dennis with a pretty bad gash on his forearm.  Dennis had once possessed superhuman powers, enhanced strength and durability (qualities bestowed onto him by the villainous Power Broker), but these abilities have since gone away and the cut on his arm is bad enough to warrant a trip to the emergency room.  

Exiting his apartment Dennis encounters his neighbor, a kindly albeit kind of homophobic elder woman named Mrs. Gillespie.  She is petting her pet bulldog, Bixby, and invites Dennis to a party honoring the dog’s thirtieth birthday.   

Mrs. Gillespie seems like kind of a kook so Dennis doesn’t give much thought to her claims that her dog is actually thirty years old.  Besides, he’s in kind of a hurry to get to urgent care for some stitches on his forearm.  

Elsewhere, Lockjaw teleports to earth and arrives at a local park and makes quick friends with a nice little girl chasing butterflies.  Good boy.  

Over at the hospital, Dennis’ sister, Ruth, has arrived worried that his wound might have been the result of a suicide attempt.    Ruth means well but it’s rather demoralizing to Dennis that she had thought things so rough that he would try to kill himself.   It’s basically rock bottom for Dennis, but the good news is there is nowhere to go from here but up.  

Dennis returns too his apartment building and discovers Lockjaw standing outside barking loudly.  He doesn’t recognize Lockjaw and seems to assume he is just a really big dog who might be lost.  Yet before he can investigate the matter further, Dennis is hit in the back by a hamster in a mini flying saucer.  There’s a sentence I never thought I’d write…

Suddenly Dennis and Lockjaw find themselves facing off against a veritable swarm of miniature flying saucers operated by talking hamsters.  The lead hamster recognizes Lockjaw, naming him a secondary target, instructing his fellow hamsters to apprehend the canine Inhuman.   Mrs. Gillespie and Bixby come out of the building to see what the ruckus is all about.  The hamster identifies Bixby as the primary target and its fleet engages.   With Bixbee in danger, Lockjaw goes a bit wild and takes out the swarming saucers with heightened brutality. 

 It isn’t long before the saucers have to retreat.  Afterwards, Lockjaw and Bixbee meet up and share a knowing sniff with one another.  

Then Lockjaw is off.  Dennis still thinks he is a lost dog and runs up to see if he can check for a collar.  Doing so accidentally causes Dennis to be teleported off with Lockjaw.  

The two land in the Savage Land, the secretive refuge of prehistoric life hidden deep in the antarctic.  Lockjaw has teleported to a place in the Savage Land where his one time ally and fellow Pet Avenger, Zabu the sabertooth tiger, is residing.  

Zabu growls at first, but his friend Ka-Zar (Marvel’s analog to Tarzan) assures him that all is well.  Dennis is rather confused over all that has happened, but he sees Ka-Zar and is taken aback by the man’s physical beauty.    

And it is here that this rather silly first issue comes to a close with the promise of continuation with the next installment...

A very goofy and fun ride.   Carlos Villa’s illustration along with  Roberto Poggi’s inks and Chris O’Halloran coloring all work really nicely for the story.  Villa draws a rather funny looking Lockjaw with an especially big face with accentuated floppy joules.  It’s very much that kind of cute come funny looking often associated with pugs or bulldogs.     

Villa’s penciling very much excels in the one action scene, where Lockjaw and D-Man fend off the hamsters in flying saucers.  He is especially good at showing off dynamic scenes and I’ll be looking forward to more action scenes as the series progresses.  O’Halloran’s colors really stand out, with an especially good use of electric blues that capture the cosmic nature of Lockjaw’s powers of teleportation.

There’s a lot of mystery here and it remains unknown what exactly is going on.  It would seem that Bixby is likely Lockjaw’s brother and that there may be something special about Lockjaw’s siblings that has put them in the crosshairs of these hamster-like creatures.    

We know from Black Bolt #5 that Lockjaw was a dog whose mother was exposed to Inhuman experimentation on old Attilan.  The experiment appeared to imbue the her pup with special powers, but it wasn’t revealed whether or not Lockjaw’s mom had just one puppy or a whole litter.  I’m guessing that it was the latter and that Lockjaw has a number of brothers and sisters out there.  Along with an extended lifespan, these dogs may also possess other powers, powers that these saucer flying hamsters could want to exploit.  I suppose we will have to wait and see how this all pans out.  

Daniel Kibbelsmith has made an interesting choice in selecting D-Man as Lockjaw’s co-adventurer in the story.  D-Man a peculiar character…  He first showed up in the pages of The Thing as part of a story that attempted to bank off growing popularity of professional wrestling.  He then teamed up with Captain America, getting a costume that was an overt knock off go outfits worn by Daredevil and Wolverine.  He was homeless for a time, mentally ill for a time, an Avenger for a time.  He was recruited into Wonder Man’s squad of Revengers and even mind-controlled into becoming The Scourge.  Then he was killed off and I don’t recall how he was eventually brought back to life.    

D-Man has kind of been a cypher who various authors have used for different reasons and different plot-lines in a variety of different comics.  Kibblesmith departs from this and offers up a more fully fleshed out version of D-Man.  He depicts Dennis as a sarcastic yet lovable loser who is down on his luck.  He’s lost his powers, lost his boyfriend, things have gotten pretty bad.  He’s a guy who could really use a good old fashioned adventure alongside a giant teleporting bulldog in order to turn things around…

Dennis provides up a good point of view for the reader (particularly necessary for a main character who is a dog and cannot speak).  Dennis has no idea what exactly is going on with Lockjaw, the nature of his mission, nor the origin of these villainous space-hamsters.  Us readers are equally in-the-dark and I’m looking forward to joining Dennis in discovering the truth behind these mysteries.  Hopefully other readers will feel the same.

Of course as a big time Inhumans fan I was especially intrigued by the opening scene on New Arctillan.  Very interesting to see Medusa and Black Bolt back together and I wonder if this acts as something of a spoiler regarding what will be revealed in the 12th and final issue of Ahmed and Ward’s Black Bolt series. 

 In any case, it was nice to see confirmation that Crystal has reunited with her daughter, Luna, and both are doing well on Arctillan… and also nice to see that Karnak has apparently been forgiven for his past transgression in the pages of Secret Warriors and has been welcomed to reside on Arctillan with the rest of The Royals.    

Lockjaw #1 is my kind of ridiculous fun and I definitely recommend it.  Four out of five Lockjaws :3

[stvrmwitch]

Questions Tag!

Thanks to @the-fandom-potato, @onepage-atatime, @howlsmovinglibrary​, and @twobrokegirlswithbooks for tagging me way back in the ice age. I’m finally dethawed and ready to do this!

So to make this simpler (or perhaps more complicated  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  time will tell), I’m changing up the format. 

I’m going to now tag a bunch of people, and instead of me creating 11 new questions in four separate posts, you pick 11 from this list to answer. Under the cut I’ll be answering them all, so woof if you’re scrolling through my blog on mobile!

Tagging: @phoebzreadz, @pugs-n-books, @books-on-the-brain​, @thebookrose​, @cinnasbooks​, @potionsandplants​, @theboookowl​, @quillbit-reads​, @bookswithmichelle, @ravenclawlovestyrells, @veinslikefeathers, @thehungrylittlebookworm, @bookspectre, @heretherebebooks, @the-knights-who-say-book, @devilsmoonlightstroll, @sonderreads, @arkynn, @mermaidchasingbooks

I tried to mix in some new (and new-ish) followers, so hey y’all! If you’re tagged and not interested, no worries! If you’re not tagged and are interested, have at it friends!

Actual rules: always post the rules, answer the questions given to you, write 11 questions of your own, tag 11 people

Not entirely sure why but I alphabetized these but...

A book with a beautiful cover?

When Dimple Met Rishi -that cover makes my day whenever I see it!

A book you would love to see transformed into movie?

Hmmm. So many options. The one I’m obsessed most with at the moment is Ramona Blue. It’d make the perfect summer indie flick. All you need is a cast of young unknown actors because it’s a quiet story in the way that no one is really meant to pull focus.

A book you’ve read in the past two weeks?

Mockingbird, Vol 1: My Feminist Agenda

A fantasy world you would like to live in?

Harry Potter is such an obvious choice, but I love it.

A magical animal you would love to own?

Mer-goshdarn-corgi.

A movie that you wish had a different ending?

Bend It. Like. Beckham. SHOULDA BEEN G A Y

A skill you wish you possessed?

Literally any skills. I’m a dud of a human.

Best book crushes?

n/a

Day or night?

Morning????

Do you have a favorite mythological person or creature?

I do not!

Do you have a most owned book? (lots of editions of the same book)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Someday it will probably be me owning every edition of “The Importance of Being Earnest” which yes is a play not a ~book~ but still counts

Do you have any favourite bands or songs?

Little Mix (and their entire catalogue) is a staple atm.

Do you prefer science fiction or fantasy? (Neither?)

Science fiction!

Favorite genre of music?

??? Pop?? Rock??? That Indie Sound™????? Showtunes??

Favorite reading place?

I read the most at work, oddly enough

Favorite stand-alone book?

We Are Okay

Favourite booklr platform?

I’m not actually sure what this means tbh

Favourite genre for Winter?

Science fiction

Favourite genre?

Science fiction

Favourite reading weather?

Dark sky, light rain

Hardbacks or paperbacks?

paperbacks

Hogwarts house?

hiss hiss motherfuckers

If you collect something, what is it?

Books and debt.

If you could dress up as any character from books or other fiction (not taking actual costume making skills into account), who would you choose to dress up as?

I’m torn between Furiosa and Willy Wonka. There’s no inbetween.

If you could have any magical power, what would it be?

Teleportation

If you could rewrite any book, how would you change it and why?

Oh sweet niblets, there’s so many frustrating books that I correct as I go. Though for the most part it’s never as bad as wanting to fully rewrite it. I absolutely feel that way about Stranger Than Fanfiction though. It had such potential and was a letdown at every level. It’s not plotted well, characterization is weak, there are shitty tropes. And at first it’s like maybe they’re being set up for the sole purpose of being subverted but nope. Just a bad book. IMO of course.

If you had the chance to become the ‘chosen one’/hero of an epic story, would you take it? (PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER vs. weight of the world on your shoulders/potential for extreme trauma).

Um, I mean no?? Like forced into it, ok. But would I go up and volunteer for that shit? Hell no. I’m so content to follow another’s lead on that. Like I’ll be ur sidekick character!!!

If you had to only read one author, who would it be?

Based solely on Strange the Dreamer, I’d say Laini Taylor. STrange is not nearly gay enough (is anything really??) but she’s got a great feel for character and pace.

If you play games (video, board, etc.), what’s your favorite one?

I still play the Sims when I’m in a Big Depressive Mood, and Tomb Raider is life to me. So those are my favorite two, though I don’t play a lot anyhow.

Least favourite book trope?

Young girls falling for their crusty ass male professors.

Recent favourite book/series?

When Dimple Met Rishi was a perfect summer read (though I still actually have like 50 pages to go rip me)

Tea or coffee?

#TeamHotCocoa

What character would you vote for to be president?

President of what? My fan club?? Jon Snow.

What fictional creature would you want to be your animal companion?

That little thievin’ ass platypus from Fantastic Beasts. Like we’d be villains but like. Robin Hooding it.

What is your favourite TV show/film?

Guy Ritchie at some point became my favorite director and The Man from UNCLE - tragically doomed to never get a sequel - is my fave movie. Ep for ep, Quantico is my favorite show.

What is your favourite dessert?

Fried ice cream

What is your ‘comfort food’ book, for whenever you’re ill/sad/tired etc?

Don’t quite have one. I turn to film and tv for that -usually Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

What movie is actually better than the book?

I’ve made the argument for Divergent a few times, which still stands but to change it up I’ll say Big Fish. The visual elements really capture the whimsy and wonder of that world.

Where is your favourite reading place?

As mentioned above, I like reading at work. I somehow pay more attention when I’m forced to read in intervals.

Which character/author would you make president?

This is also answered above and more seriously, I’d want Agnieszka from Uprooted in that kind of leadership role, because her concern with power is non-existent but she acts out of desire to protect all people. Plus she’s not here for your bullshit.

Which decade interests you the most?

Depends on what for really. 90s nostalgia because that’s when I grew up. 50s for fashion because what a damn look all the damn time. Um idk I like the music that came out of the 70s, but not much more than any later decade. All around, the current decade interests me the most because I have the most human rights within it. So there’s that.

Who is your favorite author?

Neil Gaiman maybe?? I’m bad at choosing one favorite thing.

Would you rather compete in The Hunger Games or The TriWizard Tournament?

Uh my pal I’m gonna go with the one where everyone is supposed* to come out alive on the other side.

*rip ceddie

You walk through a wardrobe, and you find yourself in a completely other world on the other side. Which world would you want to be in?

Wlw utopia. Nothing but wlw and smol animals. If you mean a pre-established fictional world, then let’s go with San Junipero. Like I wanna be where the immortal wlw are! I wanna see, wanna see them dancing!!!

[jillmckenzie1]

New Team, New Place, Same Flashy Thing

Let’s say you get the idea stuck in your craw that you wanted to write or direct a summer blockbuster. To do that, you’ll want to study the best of the best. What you don’t want is something stupid, cynical, or pandering.

Look, I get it. For many of us, the summer movie season is a nightmare. We’re ritually bludgeoned with special effects, broad humor, and cloying animation. Ask the average filmgoer, and they might tell you that summer movies aren’t even intended to be good. They exist to move a franchise forward or sell toys. The average filmgoer might even think that an entertaining movie must be, by necessity, dumb as hell.

Not so much! A summer blockbuster should be fast, smart, and fun, and the platonic ideal of summer movies can only be 1997’s Men in Black. The film intelligently delivers creative action, a sly sense of humor, a distinct point of view, and two instantly iconic performances from Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones—all at a fleet running time of 97 minutes.

Unfortunately, the law of diminishing returns affects all franchises.* Men in Black II sucked. Men in Black 3, despite a hilarious performance from Josh Brolin as young Tommy Lee Jones, was only kinda okay. That blazing streak of mediocrity continues with the latest installment, Men in Black: International.

In order to temper your expectations appropriately, you will not be seeing Mr. Jones or Mr. Smith this time around, except for a brief Easter Egg portraying their likenesses. Instead, we’re introduced to Agent H (Chris Hemsworth), and his mentor High T (Liam Neeson), as they beat back an intergalactic incursion at the Eiffel Tower.

We then flash back twenty years earlier to Molly (Mandeiya Flory), a young girl living in Brooklyn with her parents. She encounters something that’s not of this world, and, as per frickin’ usual, two serious guys in dark suits arrive and wipe the memory from the noggins of her parents. Only they overlook her.

Time passes as we flash forward to the present, and the adult Molly (Tessa Thompson) is still grappling with what she’s seen. She knows two things for certain: there are aliens walking amongst us, and there is an extraordinarily secretive organization that polices them. She wants in.

A little persistence and a lucky break later, she’s sitting in front of Agent O (Emma Thompson), the head of the New York bureau of Men in Black. Literal seconds after that, Molly has completed training. Now known as Agent M, she’s on her first assignment. O tells her to head to the London branch, as “something” is wrong.

What’s wrong, you might well ask? Agent H has become wildly irresponsible, which his rival Agent C (Rafe Spall) delights at pointing out. His goofballery is ill-timed, considering that there’s a cosmically-powered doodad on Earth, a bunch of cosmically-powered baddies after it, and there just might be a mole in the MiB. You can see how that would be inconvenient.

We’re living in the 21st century. Our civilization has put men on the moon, nearly wiped out diseases like measles, and created the internet. Can someone please develop an app that, when a studio executive wants to develop an unnecessary sequel, a big digital fist punches them in the face? Highlander is good fun, yet it hasn’t benefitted from having a bunch of crummy sequels. The same goes for the Men in Black franchise.

Part of the reason the original works so well is the bizarre point of view from director Barry Sonnenfeld. This time out, F. Gary Gray directed. Don’t get me wrong, I like him quite a bit as a filmmaker. The Negotiator is still an absolute banger,** and Set It Off is an unfortunately forgotten gem. But he’s not the right guy for this particular film. Instead of the puckish sense of humor found in the original, Gray has made a film that’s slick and fast-paced. He doesn’t linger on the weirdness of the aliens; instead, he’s more focused on a globetrotting caper that feels a bit like an audition reel for Chris Hemsworth as James Bond. Gray is undeniably talented, but his sensibilities don’t mesh well here.***

The script really ought to be better, since it was written by Iron Man writers Matt Holloway and Art Marcum.**** The dialogue should pop, yet it consistently feels forced. A subplot regarding the mole in MiB is never properly developed and it feels far too obvious. This series should be an excuse for creators to go nuts. Is studio timidity the reason the script feels so conservative? I can’t say, but despite some fun moments, it certainly feels like a missed opportunity.

Speaking of missed opportunities, let’s talk about the cast a bit. We have Chris Hemsworth playing a charming schmuck again. His role in the 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters was the best thing that could have happened to him since it showed audiences that he has a real gift for daffy comedy. As well utilized as that gift was in Thor: Ragnarok, it feels like Hemsworth is coasting here. A sharper script would have more fully utilized his talents. The same script also lets down Tessa Thompson as Agent M. Take a little time and watch her in Dear White People, and you’ll see a performance that’s funny, smart, and absolutely ferocious. It’s so disappointing to see an actor that talented let down so profoundly. The crackling chemistry Thompson and Hemsworth shared in Ragnarok is long gone here. I’ve nearly forgotten, we also have Liam Neeson playing a very Liam Neeson-esque role, Kumail Nanjiani voicing an annoying sidekick, a living chess piece, and Rebecca Ferguson having fun in a small role as a three-armed arms dealer.

Men in Black: International, I’m not angry with you. I’m just disappointed. If you’re going to do a sequel to one of the best blockbusters ever made, you need to give it your A-game. We didn’t get a film on par with the original. Hell, we didn’t even get Tommy Lee Jones interrogating a pug. What we got is a film that’s fun in the moment, yet afterward feels designed to be forgotten.

  *Yes, even the seemingly invincible Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sooner or later, they’ll produce a film that makes viewers collectively say, “Guys, let’s pump the brakes on this superhero thing for a while.”

**Though it’s a little tough dealing with Kevin Spacey these days.

***Just like they didn’t mesh well in his film Be Cool, a very bad movie that’s a sequel to the very good Get Shorty.

 ****Though we should give them a pass, as they also wrote the enjoyably bananas Punisher: War Zone.

from Blog https://ondenver.com/new-team-new-place-same-flashy-thing/

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Pug | Hydro Power~uP 💜💧💜

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Welcome to the world of a girl named Pug!

Pug~Emberee Ever~Pure is her name but everyone calls her Pug.

She's the Pure~Heart fairee from the planet Testraa.

Testraa is located in the Alphaa~Enfinizz Galaxy and the Outer Realm of Eternal Light.

Pug's home planet, Testraa, is the dominant plant in a Twelve-Point-Sister-System of twelve planets and twelve moons hovering stationary around two, central stars -- called Twin-Sizz stars -- or their suns.

Each planet, because they exist within a stationary solar system, has a Far~Side, where it's always daylight, and a Star~Side, where it's always night.

During the call of every one-thousand years, a Pure~Heart is born to deliver the Elixxir.

Pug is destined to deliver the One-Thousand-Year Eternal~Elixxir and go where no girl has gone before!

Are you ready for an epic adventure?

PUG takes place in the Fourth-Dimensional~Hydrogen Cycle!

Have you ever been there before?

Buckle your imagination up because you're in for quite a wild ride.

#gogalactic #keepitcosmic #universalpug

There are energy orbs and rainbow prisms and infinite light, oh my.

There's an always~day, cherubs, centaurs, draggon~angels, and a glowing, forever~night.

There's parasite rain and therapy rain, and a dazzling, starry night sky.

Unipegs and Elder Rools, and elixxirs for ever~life.

The Under~Queen, her ranburds, and the Elder Runt...they try...to stop the Pure~Heart, oh, how they try.

Evil Moggdaleen's under~army of immortal, dark bodies...they try, too...so you'll have to take the adventure with Pug to see if they do!

Stay pUg~dated @ jdslayton.com 💜

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PUG | 2023 💜 #pugplay #puggame

Bubble~Punk | Orb~Lore | Globe~Core

4D Hydro Base | Hydrogen Cycle

Cosmic Series of Twelve

12 playing characters to choose from

12 planets to visit in the Twelve-Point-Sister-System

Infinite Energy is your only non-lethal weapon

No one dies

Redemption is real

Collect PUG orbs, points, and coins

Pug Digital | interactive orbs, virtual points, pug crypto

Power Plays and Power~uP Points | Pug Royalty

Win #puggear every time you play

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Meet Prince Michaleezian North~Star of the Draggon~Angels!

Welcome to the World of a Pure~Heart Fairee from the Far~Side of Planet Testraa 💜🍄💎🌎🦄

Pug Emberee Ever~Pure is her name but everyone calls her Pug.

She must go where no girl has gone before. 🔥🤟💧

Are you ready for an epic adventure? ✨💯🌌

Copyright 2022 JD SLAYTON. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[jdslaytontheauthor]

Stay pUg~dated at jdslayton.com 💗

Pug the Pure~Heart Fairee from the Far~Side of Testraa must deliver the One-Thousand-Year, Eternal~Elixxir to the Star~Side...to the Night Lands of infinite stars and the ever~light of twelve moons.